# US 12,224,414 B2 · Method and system for recovery of metals from spent lithium ion batteries

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- Number: US 12,224,414 B2
- Document ID: US12224414B2
- Status: Granted
- Kind: B2
- Application number: 18/237,751
- Filed: 2023-08-24
- Published: 2024-02-29
- Granted: 2025-02-11
- Earliest claimed: 2022-08-25
- Assignees: Agr Lithium Inc.
- Applicants: Agr Lithium Inc.
- Inventors: Amol Naik; Rupesh Singh; Vipin Tyagi; Nishchay Chadha
- Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US12224414B2

## CPC

- H01M 10/54: Reclaiming serviceable parts of waste accumulators
- C22B 1/24: Binding; Briquetting {; Granulating}
- C22B 3/08: Sulfuric acid {, other sulfurated acids or salts thereof}
- C22B 3/22: by physical processes, e.g. by filtration, by magnetic means {, or by thermal decomposition} (treatment or purification of solutions by liquid-liquid extraction C22B3/26)
- C22B 3/44: by chemical processes (treatment or purification of solutions by liquid-liquid extraction C22B3/26, by ion-exchange extraction C22B3/42)
- C22B 7/007: {by acid leaching}
- C22B 26/12: Obtaining lithium
- Y02W 30/84: Recycling of batteries or fuel cells
- H01M: PROCESSES OR MEANS, e.g. BATTERIES, FOR THE DIRECT CONVERSION OF CHEMICAL ENERGY INTO ELECTRICAL ENERGY
- C22B: PRODUCTION AND REFINING OF METALS (electrolytic C25); PRETREATMENT OF RAW MATERIALS
- Y02W: CLIMATE CHANGE MITIGATION TECHNOLOGIES RELATED TO WASTEWATER TREATMENT OR WASTE MANAGEMENT

## Abstract

A method for obtaining a metal salt from a spent lithium-ion (Li-ion) battery may include contacting a leaching solvent to a portion of the spent lithium-ion battery to form a first dispersion. The first dispersion is heated to a temperature in a range from 50° C. to 90° C. by applying microwave radiation. The temperature of the first dispersion is maintained to be in the range from 50° C. to 90° C. for a period in a range from 10 seconds to 5 minutes by further applying microwave radiation to the heated first dispersion. The first dispersion is filtered to obtain a first filtrate. A first base is contacted with the first filtrate to increase a pH of the first filtrate to a first predetermined value to precipitate a first metal salt.

## Claims

### Claim 1

A method of obtaining a metal salt from a spent lithium-ion (Li-ion) battery, the method comprising:
contacting a leaching solvent to a portion of the spent Li-ion battery to obtain a first dispersion;
heating the first dispersion to a temperature in a range from 50° C. to 90° C. by applying microwave radiation;
maintaining the temperature of the first dispersion in the range from 50° C. to 90° C. for a period in a range from 10 seconds to 5 minutes by further applying microwave radiation to the heated first dispersion;
filtering the first dispersion to obtain a first filtrate; and
contacting a first base with the first filtrate to increase a pH of the first filtrate to a first predetermined value at which a first metal salt is precipitated from the first filtrate.

### Claim 2 (depends on 1)

The method of claim 1, wherein the first metal salt comprises lithium, aluminum, iron, cobalt, copper, manganese, and/or nickel.

### Claim 3 (depends on 1)

The method of claim 1, wherein the leaching solvent comprises sulfuric acid.

### Claim 4 (depends on 3)

The method of claim 3, wherein the leaching solvent further comprises an oxidizing agent.

### Claim 5 (depends on 4)

The method of claim 4, wherein the oxidizing agent is hydrogen peroxide.

### Claim 6 (depends on 1)

The method of claim 1, wherein the leaching solvent has a pH in a range from 0 to 7.0.

### Claim 7 (depends on 1)

The method of claim 1, wherein heating the first dispersion further comprises stirring the first dispersion while applying the microwave radiation.

### Claim 8 (depends on 1)

The method of claim 1, wherein maintaining the temperature of the first dispersion comprises controlling application of the microwave radiation using a controller.

### Claim 9 (depends on 1)

The method of claim 1, wherein heating the first dispersion comprises heating the first dispersion to a temperature in a range from 60° C. to 80° C.

### Claim 10 (depends on 1)

The method of claim 1, wherein maintaining the temperature comprises maintaining the temperature of the first dispersion in a range from 60° C. to 80° C., for a period in a range from 30 seconds to 5 minutes.

### Claim 11 (depends on 1)

The method of claim 1, wherein the portion of the spent lithium-ion battery comprises metal pieces, and a black mass comprising graphite and metal oxides.

### Claim 12 (depends on 11)

The method of claim 11, wherein filtering the first dispersion comprises filtering the first dispersion through a sieve.

### Claim 13 (depends on 1)

The method of claim 1, wherein heating the first dispersion further comprises continuously stirring the first dispersion while applying the microwave radiation.

### Claim 14 (depends on 1)

The method of claim 1, wherein maintaining the temperature of the first dispersion further comprises continuously stirring the first dispersion while applying the microwave radiation.

### Claim 15 (depends on 1)

The method of claim 1, wherein the first base comprises sodium carbonate and/or ammonium carbonate.

### Claim 16 (depends on 1)

The method of claim 1, further comprises obtaining a second filtrate following the precipitation of the first metal salt.

### Claim 17 (depends on 16)

The method of claim 16, further comprising contacting a second base with the second filtrate to increase a pH of the second filtrate to a second predetermined value to precipitate a second metal salt.